SE Asia faces delicate task in terrorism war<\/p>\n
Eileen Ng, Agence France-Presse, Phnom Penh<\/p>\n
Southeast Asian nations have stepped up their war on terror
\nwith the expansion of a regional security pact and fresh
\ncooperation with China but the task ahead remains difficult and
\ndelicate, analysts and diplomats said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In a symbolic gesture of support to Indonesia, leaders of the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to gather
\nin Bali for their summit next October on the first anniversary of
\nthe carnage that killed more than 190 people.<\/p>\n
Until then, the 10-member group will flex its security muscles
\nwith a raft of activities, from a joint counter-terrorism
\nexercise to the launch of a regional training center.<\/p>\n
\"ASEAN has definitely become more unified on the terrorism
\nissue,\" ASEAN's incoming secretary-general Ong Keng Yong told
\nAFP.<\/p>\n
\"At the political level, there is a strong commitment to deal
\nwith it in a very assertive way, no more waffling around. The
\nmessage is that the leaders are very serious and have no doubts
\nabout what they need to do.\"<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders renewed their resolve to intensify efforts to
\n\"prevent, counter and suppress\" terrorist groups in the region at
\nthe end of a two-day annual summit here Tuesday.<\/p>\n
They also urged Western governments not to play to the
\nterrorists' agenda by issuing security alerts warning against
\ntravel in Southeast Asia without established and substantial
\nevidence.<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders forged a new security agreement with rising
\neconomic power China to fight terrorism and transnational crimes
\nat their summit.<\/p>\n
Thailand meanwhile, acceded to a regional pact focused on
\nsharing intelligence, resources and personnel to fight terrorism,
\nwith Brunei saying it would also come aboard in the next few
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
The pact establishes guidelines for search and rescue
\noperations, special communication channels, sharing of airline
\npassenger lists and stronger border controls, officials said.<\/p>\n
It already binds countries most exposed to terrorism:
\nIndonesia grappling with separatist violence and now the Bali
\nblast, the Philippines with Muslim extremists in the south,
\nMalaysia where elements linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda
\nterror network have been detected, and Cambodia.<\/p>\n
Singapore, which has detained 31 suspected militants, has
\nrefused to join and said it would rely instead on bilateral
\nsecurity arrangements.<\/p>\n
Despite progress in its terror war, analysts noted there has
\nbeen no push on Indonesia to take tougher action despite
\ndissatisfaction from Singapore and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"On the surface, ASEAN seems more unified but it is moving
\ngingerly. There is no consensus on how to deal with terrorism in
\nIndonesia,\" said Andrew Tan, analyst with the Institute of
\nDefense and Strategic Studies in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"I am not convinced that the basis of multilateral cooperation
\nexists in Southeast Asia because of differing national interests
\nand inter-state conflicts,\" Tan said.<\/p>\n
\"It will be a difficult and delicate road ahead for ASEAN.\"
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri lacks the political will to
\ncrack the whip against terror groups because of fears of a Muslim
\nbacklash ahead of a general election in 2004, he added.<\/p>\n
Megawati maintained that Bali was now safe and said efforts to
\nbolster security ahead of next year's ASEAN summit would ensure
\nsecurity for heads of state and the island's population.<\/p>\n
The expanded regional security group will hold its first major
\nexercise in Manila in late December or early 2003, gathering
\nsecurity and law enforcement agencies from member nations to deal
\nwith a simulated terrorist attack.<\/p>\n
Manila will also host a two-day conference from this Friday
\ninvolving the United States and 16 other countries on anti-
\nterrorism measures and tourism recovery. A regional meeting on
\nmoney laundering and terrorist financing will take place in Bali
\nin December.<\/p>\n
In early 2003, Kuala Lumpur will launch a non-military
\ntraining center to strengthen the region's capacity to deal with
\nterrorist threats and an ASEAN ministerial summit on
\ntransnational crime involving China, Japan and South Korea will
\nbe held in Bangkok late next year.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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